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Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Nov 2020Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and the presence of ≥1 cardiovascular risk factors elevates total risk. Lycopene, a carotenoid with...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and the presence of ≥1 cardiovascular risk factors elevates total risk. Lycopene, a carotenoid with high antioxidant capacity, may be protective. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analyses is to determine the efficacy of consuming dietary and/or supplemental lycopene on cardiovascular risk factors. Using the PRISMA guidelines, 4 databases were systematically searched from inception: Medline, Cinahl, Proquest, and Scopus. Intervention trials assessing dietary or supplemental lycopene on CVD outcomes were included. The Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included papers. Pooled analysis was conducted using outcomes with available data. Forty-three studies were included. Lycopene interventions were highly variable (supplement with or without food, based as tomato juice/paste/raw product, or combined with olive oil), the dose ranged from 1.44 to 75 mg lycopene/d and was not reported in 11 of 43 included studies. Studies reported conflicting findings for the effect of lycopene on cardiovascular risk factors, This was supported by meta-analyses where there were no significant differences between lycopene intervention and control groups for blood pressure and lipids (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides). This was observed for overall groups and in subgroup analyses for individuals with elevated risk factor concentrations at baseline. Lycopene interventions for cardiovascular risk factors were highly variable across studies in both the dosage provided and the mode of delivery (supplement or food based). As such, there are conflicting findings regarding the efficacy of lycopene to improve cardiovascular risk factors. This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO as CRD42018112174.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diet; Humans; Iran; Lycopene; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Single-Blind Method
PubMed: 32652029
DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmaa069 -
Croatian Medical Journal Aug 2023To evaluate the effect of lycopene on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis and elucidate the underlying mechanism.
AIM
To evaluate the effect of lycopene on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis and elucidate the underlying mechanism.
METHODS
Male rats were randomly assigned to the control group, CCl4 group, and lycopene group. The CCl4 group was intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 twice per week for 12 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. The control group was intraperitoneally injected with olive oil. Lycopene was orally administered during CCl4 treatment. Body weight and liver weight were recorded. Liver function was assessed. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors were measured. Histological changes and collagen expression were evaluated. The expression of TGF-β1, α-SMA, HO-1, SIRT 1, REDD1, SHP2, P62, and LC3 in the liver was determined, as well as the levels of phosphorylated NF-κB and IκB α.
RESULTS
Lycopene significantly reduced the liver/body weight ratio, and AST (P=0.001) and ALT levels (P=0.009). It also significantly increased CAT and SOD activities (P<0.001) and decreased MDA content (P<0.001), IL-6 (P<0.001), and TNF-α (P=0.001). Histological analysis demonstrated that lycopene improved lobular architecture and decreased collagen expression. It also decreased the expression of TGF-β1, α-SMA, P62, and SHP2, and increased the ratio of LC3 II/I, as well as Beclin 1 and REDD1 expression. In addition, it reduced NF-κB and IκB-α phosphorylation, and elevated the levels of HO-1, SIRT 1, and PGC 1α.
CONCLUSION
Lycopene attenuates CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis because of its effect on autophagy by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
Topics: Male; Animals; Rats; Carbon Tetrachloride; Lycopene; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; NF-kappa B; Liver Cirrhosis; Autophagy; Body Weight
PubMed: 37654036
DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2023.64.243 -
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Mar 2022Prostate cancer is a major malignancy, affecting men, worldwide. The protective effect of dietary or supplemental lycopene on prostate cancer has been reported in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer is a major malignancy, affecting men, worldwide. The protective effect of dietary or supplemental lycopene on prostate cancer has been reported in several studies; however, the findings are equivocal.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplemental lycopene on PSA level, by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
METHODS
We searched online databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, up to 9 Jun 2020, to obtain relevant publications. The publication search was not limited by language or date.
RESULTS
A total of 1036 records were identified in the systematic search; from these, 9 were included in the systematic review and 6 in meta-analysis. The pooled analysis of the 6 studies showed no significant differences in PSA levels in subjects treated with lycopene or tomato extract containing lycopene (WMD= -0.12 ng/ml; 95% CI: -0.62, 0.38 ng/ml; P = 0.64) compared to the control.
CONCLUSION
Overall, tomato extracts or lycopene treatment yielded no significant effect on PSA level compared to the control. However, more consistent clinical trials, with larger sample sizes, are required to better discern the actual effect of tomato extract or lycopene on PSA level.
Topics: Carotenoids; Humans; Lycopene; Male; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 35031434
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102801 -
BMC Public Health Aug 2023Dietary carotenoids have been proven to improve intestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, yet little is known about the link between dietary...
BACKGROUND
Dietary carotenoids have been proven to improve intestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, yet little is known about the link between dietary carotenoids and constipation. This study aims to examine the relationship between dietary carotenoids intake and constipation, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2010.
METHODS
A total of 11,722 participants were enrolled. Chronic constipation was defined as type 1 (separate hard lumps, like nuts) and type 2 (sausage-like, but lumpy) in the Bristol stool form scale (BSFS). Carotenoids intake was obtained from the average of two 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires (if only one 24-hour was available, we used it) and divided into quartiles (Q). The prevalence of constipation was calculated across men and women individuals. The relationship between dietary carotenoids intake and constipation in men and women was assessed with weighted logistic regression and smoothed curve fitting after adjusting confounders, with results displayed as weighted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The model was further stratified by age, race, and HEI 2015 scores (with median as cutoff) among men and women.
RESULTS
The total weighted prevalence of chronic constipation in this study was 8.08%, 11.11% in women and 5.18% in men. After multivariable adjustment, compared with the lowest intake, participants with the highest dietary lycopene intake (OR 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36-0.84, p for trend = 0.01) and total lycopene intake (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.34-0.80, p for trend = 0.01) were negatively associated with the risk of chronic constipation in men, whereas increased dietary α-carotene intake reduced the risk of chronic constipation in women (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.48-0.98, p for trend = 0.04). Smoothing curve fitting further supported these results and provided evidence of dose-response effects. No association was found between other types of carotenoids and chronic constipation in men and women.
CONCLUSIONS
Increasing lycopene intake may improve bowel function in men while increased α-carotene intake may reduce the risk of chronic constipation in women. Further studies are essential to explore the role that the intake of carotenoids plays in chronic constipation.
Topics: Male; Adult; Female; Humans; Lycopene; Cross-Sectional Studies; Nutrition Surveys; Carotenoids; Constipation
PubMed: 37608273
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16367-3 -
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular... 2022This study was aimed at examining the effects of lycopene on bone metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)- induced obese mice and to identify the potential underlying...
OBJECTIVE
This study was aimed at examining the effects of lycopene on bone metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)- induced obese mice and to identify the potential underlying mechanisms.
METHODS
Mice were fed a HFD for 12 weeks and then continue with or without lycopene intervention (15 mg/kg) for additional 10 weeks. The effects of lycopene on blood glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by biochemical assays. Bone histomorphological features and osteoclast activity were assessed by hematoxylin/eosin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining. Bone microstructure at the proximal tibial metaphysis and diaphysis was determined by microcomputed tomography. Tibial biomechanical strength and material profiles were measured by a three-point bending assay and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Protein expressions involved in the AGE/RAGE/NF-кB signaling pathway were determined by western blot and/or immunohistochemical staining.
RESULTS
Lycopene consumption reduced body weight gain and improved blood glucose and lipid metabolism in HFD-induced obese mice. In addition, lycopene treatment preserved bone biomechanical strength, material profiles, and microarchitecture in obese mice. Moreover, these alterations were associated with an increase in serum levels of T-AOC and SOD, and a decline in serum levels of MDA, as well as a reduction of AGEs, RAGE, cathepsin K, and p-NF-кBp65 and NF-кBp65 expressions in the femurs and tibias of obese mice.
CONCLUSION
Lycopene may improve bone quality through its antioxidant properties, which may be linked with the regulation of the AGE/RAGE/NF-кB signaling pathway in obese mice. These results suggest that lycopene consumption may be beneficial for the management of obesity-induced osteoporosis.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Blood Glucose; Bone and Bones; Cathepsin K; Diet, High-Fat; Femur; Glycation End Products, Advanced; Lipid Metabolism; Lycopene; Mice; NF-kappa B; Obesity; Oxidative Stress; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; Signal Transduction; Tibia
PubMed: 35222796
DOI: 10.1155/2022/3697067 -
The Journal of Nutrition Nov 2022In pig production, early and abrupt weaning frequently causes weaning stress, which manifests as oxidative damage, barrier disruption, and digestion and absorption...
BACKGROUND
In pig production, early and abrupt weaning frequently causes weaning stress, which manifests as oxidative damage, barrier disruption, and digestion and absorption capacity declines. Lycopene exhibits beneficial antioxidant capacity in both humans and other animal models.
OBJECTIVES
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of lycopene supplementation on early weaning stress in piglets and the underlying mechanisms by examining the oxidative stress state, gut intestinal barrier function, and the gut microbiota.
METHODS
Twenty-four 21-day-old weaned piglets [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire); castrated males; 5.48 ± 0.10 kg initial body weight] were randomly assigned to 2 treatments. The piglets were fed a basal diet (control treatment) or a basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg lycopene (lycopene treatment) for 28 days. The serum lipid levels, serum and jejunum enzyme activities, jejunum morphology, mRNA and protein expression, and gut microbiota were determined.
RESULTS
Compared with the control treatment, lycopene supplementation increased the serum catalase activity (P = 0.042; 62.0%); serum total cholesterol concentration (P = 0.020; 14.1%); and jejunum superoxide dismutase activity (P = 0.032; 21.4%), whereas it decreased serum (P = 0.039, 23.0%) and jejunum (P = 0.047; 20.9%) hydrogen peroxide concentrations. Additionally, lycopene increased the mRNA and protein expression of NFE2-like bZIP transcription factor 2 (214.0% and 102.4%, respectively) and CD36 (100.8% and 145.2%, respectively) in the jejunum, whereas it decreased the mRNA and protein expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (55.6% and 39.8%, respectively ). Lycopene also improved jejunal morphology, increasing the villus height (P = 0.018; 27.5%) and villus:crypt ratio (P < 0.001; 57.9%). Furthermore, it increased the abundances of potentially beneficial bacterial groups, including Phascolarctobacterium and Parasutterella, and decreased those of potentially pathogenic bacterial groups, including Treponema_2 and Prevotellaceae_unclassified.
CONCLUSIONS
Lycopene supplementation strengthens the intestinal barrier function and improves the gut microbiota in weaned piglets by regulating intestinal antioxidant signaling.
Topics: Animals; Male; Antioxidants; Dietary Supplements; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Lycopene; RNA, Messenger; Swine; Weaning; Animal Husbandry; Animal Feed
PubMed: 36774106
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac208 -
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology :... Dec 2023This study was designed to investigate the association between nutrients and female infertility.
BACKGROUND
This study was designed to investigate the association between nutrients and female infertility.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study on 18-45 years of age reproductive-age women was conducted using the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) for the periods 2013-2014 and 2015-2016. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between nutrients and female infertility. Subgroup analysis was applied to the body mass index (BMI). Results were summarised using an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).
RESULTS
Of the total 1713 women, 204 women (11.91%) were infertile. The result demonstrated that higher intake of carbohydrate (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.86, = 0.018), vitamin A (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.24-0.80, = 0.009), vitamin C (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26-0.88, = 0.020), magnesium (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17-0.76, = 0.009), iron (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.23-0.82, = 0.012), lycopene (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91, = 0.022), and total folate (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20-0.70, = 0.003) were associated with a lower risk of female infertility. The subgroup analysis also reported that intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C, and lycopene were related to a lower risk of female infertility among women with a BMI being 18.5-24.9 kg/m. Among women with BMI > 24.9 kg/m, high intakes of magnesium, iron and total folate were associated with a decreased risk of female infertility.
CONCLUSIONS
The intake of several nutrients is associated with a decreased risk of female infertility. These findings provide insight into potentially modifiable lifestyle factors associated with female infertility.
Topics: Female; Humans; Diet; Nutrition Surveys; Magnesium; Vitamin A; Infertility, Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Lycopene; Eating; Vitamins; Folic Acid; Ascorbic Acid; Iron
PubMed: 38010776
DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2023.2285025 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Mar 2019Lycopene is an aliphatic hydrocarbon carotenoid extracted from plants like tomatoes, papayas, and watermelons. Previous studies have shown that lycopene can exert... (Review)
Review
Lycopene is an aliphatic hydrocarbon carotenoid extracted from plants like tomatoes, papayas, and watermelons. Previous studies have shown that lycopene can exert prophylactic and/or therapeutic effects in different disorders, such as heart failure and neoplasm via anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities. In the central nervous system (CNS), lycopene also has prophylactic and/or therapeutic effects in different type of disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), cerebral ischemia, epilepsy, and depression. Lycopene also improves cognition and memory ability of rodents in different pathological conditions, such as diabetes, colchicine exposure, high-fat diet (HFD), and aging. Further, lycopene can prevent neuro-toxicities induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG), trimethyltin (TMT), methylmercury (MeHg), tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP), and cadmium (Cd). In some special conditions such as ethanol addiction and haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia, lycopene administration displays special therapeutic effects. Mechanisms including inhibition of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, inhibition of neuronal apoptosis, and restoration of mitochondrial function have been shown to mediate the neuroprotective effects of lycopene. Other mechanisms, such as inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, and restoration of intracellular Ca homeostasis, may be also involved in the neuroprotective effect of lycopene. In hope of get a clear impression about the role of lycopene in the CNS, we summarize and discuss the pharmacological effects of lycopene as well as its possible mechanisms in CNS disorder prevention and/or therapy.
Topics: Animals; Carotenoids; Central Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Lycopene; Neuroprotective Agents; Oxidative Stress; Plant Extracts; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30616078
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.12.151 -
Journal of Oleo Science Sep 2022This study aimed to investigate the effect of extraction conditions (temperature, pressure, and entrainer content) on the total Z-isomer ratio and recovery of lycopene...
This study aimed to investigate the effect of extraction conditions (temperature, pressure, and entrainer content) on the total Z-isomer ratio and recovery of lycopene in the extracts obtained after supercritical CO (SC-CO) extraction of lycopene from tomato powder, with a particular focus on high-temperature conditions (≥ 80°C). The results showed that high-temperature SC-CO extraction promoted the thermal isomerization of lycopene in a temperature-dependent manner up to 120℃. For example, when lycopene extraction was carried out at 80, 100, 120, and 140°C and a pressure of 30 MPa with an entrainer, ethanol, for 180 min, the total Z-isomer ratios obtained were 25.0, 57.2, 67.2, and 67.0%, respectively. The entrainer content also affected the Z-isomer ratio of lycopene, but the pressure had little effect. Interestingly, when SC-CO extraction was performed under high-temperature conditions (≥ 100°C), the extraction efficiency of lycopene was dramatically improved, e.g., when lycopene was extracted at 80, 100, 120, and 140°C under the same other conditions as above, the recovery rates of lycopene were 4.6, 28.5, 79.9, 84.8%, respectively. In general, SC-CO extraction of fat-soluble components is performed at temperatures in the range of 40-80°C because the SC-CO density decreases with increasing temperature, and thus, their solubility (extraction efficiency) decreases. However, our results showed that the lycopene recovery increased in a temperature-dependent manner, which might be due to the solubility enhancement associated with thermal Z-isomerization of lycopene (i.e., lycopene Z-isomers have greater solubility than the naturally occurring all-E-isomer). The high-temperature SC-CO extraction of lycopene from tomato materials not only enhances the Z-isomer ratio of lycopene in the resulting extracts but also improves lycopene recovery. This new finding will greatly contribute to the value addition and cost reduction of natural lycopene sources obtained by SC-CO extraction.
Topics: Carbon Dioxide; Carotenoids; Isomerism; Lycopene; Solanum lycopersicum; Powders; Temperature
PubMed: 35965086
DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess22044 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Jun 2023Bacillus subtilis has been widely used and generally recognized as a safe host for the production of recombinant proteins, high-value chemicals, and pharmaceuticals....
Bacillus subtilis has been widely used and generally recognized as a safe host for the production of recombinant proteins, high-value chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Thus, its metabolic engineering attracts significant attention. Nevertheless, the limited availability of selective markers makes this process difficult and time-consuming, especially in the case of multistep biosynthetic pathways. Here, we employ CRISPR/Cas9 technology to build an easy cloning toolkit that addresses commonly encountered obstacles in the metabolic engineering of B. subtilis, including the chromosomal integration locus, promoter, terminator, and guide RNA (gRNA) target. Six promoters were characterized, and the promoter strengths ranged from 0.9- to 23-fold that of the commonly used strong promoter P. We characterized seven terminators in B. subtilis, and the termination efficiencies (TEs) of the seven terminators are all more than 90%. Six gRNA targets were designed upstream of the promoter and downstream of the terminator. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter, we confirmed integration efficiency with the single-locus integration site is up to 100%. We demonstrated the applicability of this toolkit by optimizing the expression of a challenging but industrially important product, lycopene. By heterologous expression of the essential genes for lycopene synthesis on the B. subtilis genome, a total of 13 key genes involved in the lycopene biosynthetic pathway were manipulated. Moreover, our findings showed that the gene cluster -- could positively affect the production of lycopene, while the cluster --- had a negative effect on lycopene production. Hence, our multilocus integration strategy can facilitate the pathway assembly for production of complex chemicals and pharmaceuticals in B. subtilis. We present a toolkit that allows for rapid cloning procedures and one-step subcloning to move from plasmid-based expression to stable chromosome integration and expression in a production strain in less than a week. The utility of the customized tool was demonstrated by integrating the MEP (2C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate) pathway, part of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and the hetero-lycopene biosynthesis genes by stable expression in the genome. The tool could be useful to engineer B. subtilis strains through diverse recombination events and ultimately improve its potential and scope of industrial application as biological chassis.
Topics: Lycopene; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Bacillus subtilis; Plasmids; Metabolic Engineering
PubMed: 37272803
DOI: 10.1128/aem.00230-23